The 2012 Big Ten Conference football season was the 117th season for the Big Ten. The conference began its season on September 1, as each of the conference's teams began their respective 2012 season of NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. This was the league's second season with a divisional format and a championship game.
| 2012 Big Ten Conference football season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| League | NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision |
| Sport | Football |
| Duration | August 31, 2012 through January 2013 |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| TV partner(s) | ABC, ESPN2, ESPN Inc., Big Ten Network, FOX (championship game) |
| 2013 NFL Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Travis Frederick (Wisconsin) |
| Picked by | Dallas Cowboys, 31st overall |
| Regular Season | |
| Season MVP | Braxton Miller |
| Top scorer | Montee Ball (132 points) |
| Leaders Division champions | Ohio State |
| Legends Division champions | Nebraska |
| Championship Game | |
| Champions | Wisconsin Badgers |
| Runners-up | Nebraska |
| Finals MVP | Montee Ball |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Legends Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 25 Nebraska xy | 7 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 24 Michigan | 6 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 17 Northwestern | 5 | – | 3 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan State | 3 | – | 5 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 2 | – | 6 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leaders Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 3 Ohio State* x | 8 | – | 0 | 12 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Penn State* | 6 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin y$ | 4 | – | 4 | 8 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 0 | – | 8 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: Wisconsin 70, Nebraska 31 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rankings
| Pre | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Wk 15 | Final | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | AP | ||||||||||||||||
| C | |||||||||||||||||
| Harris | Not released | ||||||||||||||||
| BCS | Not released | ||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | AP | ||||||||||||||||
| C | |||||||||||||||||
| Harris | Not released | ||||||||||||||||
| BCS | Not released | ||||||||||||||||
| Iowa | AP | ||||||||||||||||
| C | |||||||||||||||||
| Harris | Not released | ||||||||||||||||
| BCS | Not released | ||||||||||||||||
| Michigan | AP | 8 | 19 | 17 | 18 | RV | RV | 25 | 23 | 20 | RV | RV | 23 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 24 |
| C | 8 | 19 | 18 | 17 | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 20 | RV | RV | 23 | 20 | 24 | 22 | RV | |
| Harris | Not released | RV | RV | 20 | RV | RV | 24 | 20 | 23 | 22 | |||||||
| BCS | Not released | 22 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 18 | |||||||||||
| Michigan State | AP | 13 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 20 | RV | RV | |||||||||
| C | 13 | 11 | 10 | 20 | 18 | RV | RV | RV | |||||||||
| Harris | Not released | RV | RV | ||||||||||||||
| BCS | Not released | ||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | AP | ||||||||||||||||
| C | RV | ||||||||||||||||
| Harris | Not released | ||||||||||||||||
| BCS | Not released | ||||||||||||||||
| Nebraska | AP | 17 | 16 | RV | 25 | 22 | 21 | RV | RV | RV | 21 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 23 | 25 |
| C | 16 | 14 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 20 | RV | RV | RV | 21 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 21 | 23 | |
| Harris | Not released | RV | RV | RV | 21 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 18 | |||||||
| BCS | Not released | 20 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 16 | ||||||||||
| Northwestern | AP | RV | RV | RV | 24 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 22 | 21 | 17 | |||
| C | RV | RV | RV | RV | 22 | RV | RV | RV | RV | 21 | RV | RV | 20 | 17 | 16 | ||
| Harris | Not released | RV | RV | RV | RV | 24 | RV | RV | 20 | ||||||||
| BCS | Not released | 24 | 22 | 20 | |||||||||||||
| Ohio State | AP | 18 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| C | Ineligible for ranking | ||||||||||||||||
| Harris | Not released | Ineligible for ranking | |||||||||||||||
| BCS | Not released | Ineligible for ranking | |||||||||||||||
| Penn State | AP | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | |||||||||
| C | Ineligible for ranking | ||||||||||||||||
| Harris | Not released | Ineligible for ranking | |||||||||||||||
| BCS | Not released | Ineligible for ranking | |||||||||||||||
| Purdue | AP | RV | RV | ||||||||||||||
| C | RV | RV | |||||||||||||||
| Harris | Not released | ||||||||||||||||
| BCS | Not released | ||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | AP | 12 | 13 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | |||
| C | 12 | 13 | 22 | 24 | 23 | RV | RV | RV | 25 | RV | RV | RV | RV | 23 | RV | ||
| Harris | Not released | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 25 | ||||||||
| BCS | Not released | 25 | |||||||||||||||
| Improvement in ranking | ||
| Drop in ranking | ||
| Not ranked previous week | ||
| No change in ranking from previous week | ||
| RV | Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll |
Spring games
April 14
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Michigan
- Nebraska (canceled)
- Northwestern
- Purdue
April 21
- Minnesota
- Ohio State
- Penn State
April 28
- Michigan State
- Wisconsin
Schedule
| Index to colors and formatting |
|---|
| Big Ten member won |
| Big Ten member lost |
| Big Ten teams in bold |
All times Eastern time.
Rankings = AP / Coaches.
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
| Date | Bye Week | Bye Week |
|---|---|---|
| September 22 | Indiana | Purdue |
Week 5
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 29 | 12:00 pm | Indiana | Northwestern | Ryan Field • Evanston, Illinois | BTN | NW 44–29 | 33,129 | |
| September 29 | 12:00 pm | Minnesota | Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, Iowa (Floyd of Rosedale) | ESPN2 | Iowa 31–13 | 70,585 | |
| September 29 | 12:00 pm | Penn State | Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Illinois | ESPN | PSU 35–7 | 46,734 | |
| September 29 | 3:30 pm | Marshall | Purdue | Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, Indiana | BTN | W 51–41 | 45,481 | |
| September 29 | 3:30 pm | No. 14 Ohio State | No. 20 Michigan State | Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, Michigan | ABC | OSU 17–16 | 76,705 | |
| September 29 | 8:00 pm | Wisconsin | No. 22 Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska | ABC | NEB 30–27 | 85,962 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
| Date | Bye Week |
|---|---|
| September 29 | Michigan |
Week 6
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 6 | 12:00 pm | Michigan State | Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, Indiana (Old Brass Spittoon) | BTN | MSU 31–27 | 45,979 | |
| October 6 | 12:00 pm | No. 24 Northwestern | Penn State | Beaver Stadium • Happy Valley, Pennsylvania | ESPN | PSU 39–28 | 95,769 | |
| October 6 | 3:30 pm | Illinois | Wisconsin | Camp Randall • Madison, Wisconsin | ABC / ESPN2 | WIS 31–14 | 80,096 | |
| October 6 | 4:00 pm | Michigan | Purdue | Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, Indiana | BTN | MICH 44–13 | 50,105 | |
| October 6 | 8:00 pm | No. 21 Nebraska | No. 12 Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, Ohio | ABC | OSU 63–38 | 106,102 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
| Date | Bye Week | Bye Week |
|---|---|---|
| October 6 | Iowa | Minnesota |
Week 7
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 13 | 12:00 pm | Iowa | Michigan State | Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, Michigan | ESPN | Iowa 19–16 2OT | 70,211 | |
| October 13 | 12:00 pm | Northwestern | Minnesota | TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis | ESPN2 | NW 21–13 | 49,651 | |
| October 13 | 12:00 pm | Wisconsin | Purdue | Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, Indiana | BTN | WIS 38–14 | 46,007 | |
| October 13 | 3:30 pm | Illinois | No. 25 Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, Michigan | ABC | MICH 45–0 | 110,992 | |
| October 13 | 8:00 pm | No. 8 Ohio State | Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, Indiana | BTN | OSU 52–49 | 48,880 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
| Date | Bye Week | Bye Week |
|---|---|---|
| October 13 | Nebraska | Penn State |
Week 8
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 20 | 12:00 pm | Minnesota | Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, Wisconsin (Paul Bunyan's Axe) | ESPNU | WIS 38–13 | 80,587 | |
| October 20 | 12:00 pm | Purdue | No. 7 Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, Ohio | ABC / ESPN2 | OSU 29–22 OT | 105,290 | |
| October 20 | 3:30 pm | Indiana | Navy | Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, Maryland | CBS Sports Network | L 31–30 | 33,441 | |
| October 20 | 3:30 pm | Michigan State | No. 23 Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, Michigan (Paul Bunyan Trophy) | BTN | MICH 12–10 | 113,833 | |
| October 20 | 3:30 pm | Nebraska | Northwestern | Ryan Field • Evanston, Illinois | ABC / ESPN2 | NEB 29–28 | 47,330 | |
| October 20 | 8:00 pm | Penn State | Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, Iowa | BTN | PSU 38–14 | 70,585 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
| Date | Bye Week |
|---|---|
| October 20 | Illinois |
Week 9
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 27 | 12:00 pm | Indiana | Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Illinois | BTN | IND 31–17 | 47,981 | |
| October 27 | 12:00 pm | Iowa | Northwestern | Ryan Field • Evanston, Illinois | ESPN2 | NW 28–17 | 44,121 | |
| October 27 | 3:30 pm | Michigan State | Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, Wisconsin | ABC / ESPN2 | MSU 16–13 OT | 80,538 | |
| October 27 | 3:30 pm | Purdue | Minnesota | TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, Minnesota | BTN | MN 44–28 | 41,062 | |
| October 27 | 5:30 pm | Ohio State | Penn State | Beaver Stadium • State College, Pennsylvania (Ohio State–Penn State football rivalry) | ESPN | OSU 35–23 | 107,818 | |
| October 27 | 8:00 pm | Michigan | Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska | ESPN2 | NEB 23–9 | 86,160 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
Week 10
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 3 | 12:00 pm | Michigan | Minnesota | TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis (Little Brown Jug) | BTN | MICH 35–13 | 48,801 | |
| November 3 | 3:30 pm | Illinois | No. 6 Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, Ohio (Illinois-Ohio State football rivalry) | ESPN | OSU 52–22 | 105,311 | |
| November 3 | 3:30 pm | Iowa | Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, Indiana | BTN | IND 24–21 | 40,646 | |
| November 3 | 3:30 pm | No. 21 Nebraska | Michigan State | Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, Michigan | ABC / ESPN2 | NEB 28–24 | 73,522 | |
| November 3 | 3:30 pm | Penn State | Purdue | Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette | ESPNU | PSU 34–9 | 40,098 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
| Date | Bye Week | Bye Week |
|---|---|---|
| November 3 | Northwestern | Wisconsin |
Week 11
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 10 | 12:00 pm | Northwestern | Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, Michigan | ESPN | MICH 38–31 OT | 112,510 | |
| November 10 | 12:00 pm | Wisconsin | Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, Indiana | ESPN2 | WIS 62–14 | 43,240 | |
| November 10 | 12:00 pm | Purdue | Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, Iowa | BTN | PUR 27–24 | 70,585 | |
| November 10 | 3:30 pm | Minnesota | Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Illinois | BTN | MINN 17–3 | 46,912 | |
| November 10 | 3:30 pm | Penn State | No. 18 Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska | ABC / ESPN2 | NEB 32–23 | 85,527 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
| Date | Bye Week | Bye Week |
|---|---|---|
| November 10 | Michigan State | Ohio State |
Week 12
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 17 | 12:00 pm | Indiana | Penn State | Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania | BTN | PSU 45–22 | 90,358 | |
| November 17 | 12:00 pm | Iowa | No. 23 Michigan | Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, Michigan | ESPN | MICH 42–17 | 113,016 | |
| November 17 | 12:00 pm | Northwestern | Michigan State | Spartan Stadium • East Lansing, Michigan | ESPN2 | NW 23–20 | 75,101 | |
| November 17 | 3:30 pm | Minnesota | No. 16 Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska | BTN | NEB 38–14 | 85,330 | |
| November 17 | 3:30 pm | No. 6 Ohio State | Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, Wisconsin | ABC / ESPN2 | OSU 21–14 OT | 80,112 | |
| November 17 | 3:30 pm | Purdue | Illinois | Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Illinois (Purdue Cannon) | BTN | PUR 20–17 | 41,974 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
Week 13
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 23 | 12:00 pm | No. 17 Nebraska | Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, Iowa (Heroes Game) | ABC | NEB 13–7 | 69,805 | |
| November 24 | 12:00 pm | No. 20 Michigan | No. 4 Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, Ohio (The Game) | ABC | OSU 26–21 | 105,889 | |
| November 24 | 12:00 pm | Illinois | Northwestern | Ryan Field • Evanston, Illinois (Land of Lincoln Trophy) | BTN | NW 50–14 | 32,415 | |
| November 24 | 12:00 pm | Indiana | Purdue | Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette (Old Oaken Bucket) | BTN | PUR 56–35 | 42,638 | |
| November 24 | 3:30 pm | Michigan State | Minnesota | TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis | BTN | MSU 26–10 | 44,194 | |
| November 24 | 3:30 pm | Wisconsin | Penn State | Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania | ESPN2 | PSU 24–21 OT | 93,505 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
Week 14 – Big Ten Championship Game
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1 | 8:00 pm | No. 14 Nebraska | Wisconsin | Lucas Oil Stadium • Indianapolis (2012 Big Ten Championship) | FOX | WIS 70–31 | 41,260 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
Homecoming games
September 29
- Minnesota @ Iowa (Iowa's record in homecoming games is 54-41-5)[1]
- Wisconsin @ Nebraska 7 pm CT ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2 (Nebraska's record in homecoming games is 75-22-4)[2]
October 6
- Michigan State @ Indiana (Indiana's record in homecoming games is 44-49-6)[3]
- Nebraska @ Ohio State 8 pm ET ABC, ESPN, or ESPN2[4]
- Northwestern @ Penn State (Penn State's record in homecoming games is 66-21-5)[5]
October 13
- Illinois @ Michigan (Michigan's record in homecoming games is 84–27)[6]
- Iowa @ Michigan State (Michigan State's record in homecoming games is 63-30-3)[7]
- Northwestern @ Minnesota[8]
- Wisconsin @ Purdue (Purdue's record in homecoming games is 50-35-4)[9]
October 27
Bowl games
The Big Ten has agreements with the following bowls:
| Bowl Game | Date | Site | Television | Time (EST) | Visiting Team | Home Team | Score | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas | December 28 | Reliant Stadium • Houston, Texas | ESPN | 9:00 pm | Minnesota | Texas Tech | L 31–34 | 50,386 |
| Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl | December 29 | Sun Devil Stadium • Tempe, Arizona | ESPN | 10:15 pm | Texas Christian | Michigan State | W 17–16 | 44,617 |
| Gator Bowl | January 1 | EverBank Field • Jacksonville, Florida | ESPN2 | 12:00 pm | Mississippi State | #21 Northwestern | W 34–20 | 48,612 |
| Heart of Dallas Bowl | January 1 | Cotton Bowl • Dallas, Texas | ESPNU | 12:00 pm | Purdue | Oklahoma State | L 14–58 | 48,313 |
| Outback Bowl | January 1 | Raymond James Stadium • Tampa, Florida | ESPN | 1:00 pm | #11 South Carolina | #19 Michigan | L 28–33 | 54,527 |
| Capital One Bowl | January 1 | Citrus Bowl • Orlando, Florida | ABC | 1:00 pm | #6 Georgia | #23 Nebraska | L 31–45 | 59,712 |
| Rose Bowl | January 1 | Rose Bowl • Pasadena, California | ESPN | 5:00 pm | Wisconsin | #8 Stanford | L 14–20 | 93,359 |
Two name changes for Big Ten bowls this year. The Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl used to be known as the Insight Bowl and the Heart of Dallas Bowl used to be known as the TicketCity Bowl.
With only seven bowl eligible teams, the Big Ten is unable to place a team in the eighth bowl game they are contracted with, the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.
2013 NFL Draft
| Team | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||
| Indiana | ||||||||
| Iowa | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Michigan | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||
| Michigan State | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||
| Minnesota | ||||||||
| Nebraska | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||
| Northwestern | ||||||||
| Ohio State | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||||
| Penn State | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||
| Purdue | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Wisconsin | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Records against FBS conferences
2012 records against FBS conferences:
Through January 1, 2013
| Conference | Record |
|---|---|
| ACC | (1-1) |
| Big East | (3-0) |
| Big 12 | (1-3) |
| C-USA | (5-0) |
| Independents | (1-4) |
| MAC | (9-3) |
| Mountain West | (3-0) |
| Pac-12 | (1-4) |
| SEC | (2-3) |
| Sun Belt | (1-0) |
| WAC | (1-1) |
| TOTAL | (28-19) |
Players of the week
| Week | Offensive | Defensive | Special Teams | Freshman | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | |
| September 3 | Le'Veon Bell | RB | MSU | Derrick Wells | DB | MINN | Mike Myer | PK | Iowa | Frankie Williams | DB | PUR |
| Taylor Martinez | QB | NEB | Venric Mark | PR/KR | NW | |||||||
| September 10 | Denard Robinson | QB | MICH | Chi Chi Ariguzo | LB | NW | Cody Webster | P | PUR | Devin Funchess | TE | MICH |
| September 17 | Braxton Miller | QB | OSU | Michael Mauti | LB | PSU | Jeff Budzien | PK | NW | Nate Sudfeld | QB | IND |
| Deion Barnes | DE | PSU | ||||||||||
| September 24 | Le'Veon Bell | RB | MSU | Chris Borland | LB | WIS | Ameer Abdullah | PR | NEB | Imani Cross | RB | NEB |
| Oct. 1 | Taylor Martinez | QB | NEB | Michael Mauti | LB | PSU | Brett Maher | PK/P | NEB | Mason Monheim | LB | ILL |
| Kain Colter | QB | NW | ||||||||||
| Oct. 8 | Denard Robinson | QB | MICH | Gerald Hodges | LB | PSU | Corey Brown | PR | OSU | Aaron Burbridge | WR | MSU |
| Carlos Hyde | RB | OSU | ||||||||||
| Oct. 15 | Montee Ball | RB | WIS | Jake Ryan | LB | MICH | Mike Myer | PK | Iowa | Nick VanHoose | CB | NW |
| Oct. 22 | Taylor Martinez | QB | NEB | Jordan Hill | DT | PSU | Brendan Gibbons | PK | MICH | Kyle Carter | TE | PSU |
| Oct. 29 | Kain Colter | QB | NW | Ryan Shazier | LB | OSU | Brett Maher | PK/P | NEB | Philip Nelson | QB | MIN |
| Michael Carter | DB | MIN | David Santos | LB | NEB | |||||||
| Nov. 5 | Cody Latimer | WR | IND | Ryan Shazier | LB | OSU | Mike Sadler | P | MSU | Bri'onte Dunn | RB | OSU |
| Taylor Martinez | QB | NEB | ||||||||||
| Nov. 12 | Devin Gardner | QB | MICH | Kawaan Short | DT | PUR | Brett Maher | P/PK | NEB | Mason Monheim | LB | ILL |
| Montee Ball | RB | WIS | ||||||||||
| Nov. 19 | Devin Gardner | QB | MICH | John Simon | DE | OSU | Corey Brown | PR | OSU | James Ross | LB | MICH |
| Matt McGloin | QB | PSU | Dan Vitale | SB | NW | |||||||
| Nov. 26 | Le'Veon Bell | RB | MSU | Jordan Hill | DT | PSU | Sam Ficken | PK | PSU | Frankie Williams | DB | PUR |
| Robert Mavre | QB | PUR | ||||||||||
Players of the Year
| Award | Player | School |
|---|---|---|
| Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year | Braxton Miller | Ohio State |
| Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year | John Simon | Ohio State |
| Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year | Deion Barnes | Penn State |
| Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year | Braxton Miller | Ohio State |
| Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year | Allen Robinson | Penn State |
| Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year | Montee Ball | Wisconsin |
| Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year | Jacob Pedersen | Wisconsin |
| Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year | Taylor Lewan | Michigan |
| Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year | John Simon | Ohio State |
| Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year | Michael Mauti | Penn State |
| Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year | Micah Hyde | Iowa |
| Bakken-Andersen Co-Kicker of the Year | Brett Maher | Nebraska |
| Bakken-Andersen Co-Kicker of the Year | Jeff Budzien | Northwestern |
| Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year | Will Hagerup | Michigan |
| Dave McClain/Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year | Bill O'Brien | Penn State |
All-Conference Players
Coaches All-Conference Selections [17]
| Position | Player | Class | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second Team Offense (Coaches) | |||
| QB | Braxton Miller | So. | Ohio State |
| RB | Ameer Abdullah | So. | Nebraska |
| RB | Venric Mark | Jr. | Northwestern |
| RB | Carlos Hyde | Jr. | Ohio State |
| WR | Kenny Bell | So. | Nebraska |
| WR | Corey Brown | Jr. | Ohio State |
| TE | Dion Sims | Jr. | Michigan State |
| OT | Hugh Thornton | Sr. | Illinois |
| OG | Ryan Groy | Jr. | Wisconsin |
| C | James Ferentz | Sr. | Iowa |
| OG | (none) | ||
| OT | Jeremiah Sirles | Jr. | Nebraska |
| Second Team Defense (Coaches) | |||
| DL | Michael Buchanan | Sr. | Illinois |
| DL | Adam Replogle | Sr. | Indiana |
| DL | Craig Roh | Sr. | Michigan |
| DL | Eric Martin | Sr. | Nebraska |
| DL | Baker Steinkuhler | Sr. | Nebraska |
| LB | Will Compton | Sr. | Nebraska |
| LB | Ryan Shazier | So. | Ohio State |
| LB | Gerald Hodges | Sr. | Penn State |
| DB | Jordan Kovacs | Sr. | Michigan |
| DB | Daimion Stafford | Sr. | Nebraska |
| DB | Christian Bryant | Sr. | Ohio State |
| DB | Ricardo Allen | Jr. | Purdue |
| Second Team Special Teams (Coaches) | |||
| PK | Brett Maher | Sr. | Nebraska |
| P | Brett Maher | Sr. | Nebraska |
HONORABLE MENTION: Illinois: Akeem Spence; Indiana: Ted Bolser, Dan Feeney, Cody Latimer, Jason Spriggs; Iowa: C.J. Fiedorowicz, Anthony Hitchens, Mike Meyer, Matt Tobin; Michigan: J.T. Floyd, Jeremy Gallon, Brendan Gibbons, Will Hagerup, Roy Roundtree, Jake Ryan; Michigan State: Denicos Allen, William Gholston, Isaiah Lewis, Chris McDonald, Marcus Rush; Minnesota: Michael Carter; Nebraska: Ben Cotton, Ciante Evans, Justin Jackson, P.J. Smith; Northwestern: Ibraheim Campbell, Brian Mulroe, Tyler Scott, Patrick Ward; Ohio State: C.J. Barnett, Travis Howard, Corey Linsley, Jack Mewhort, Andrew Norwell; Penn State: Adrian Amos, Deion Barnes, Kyle Carter, Mike Farrell, Matt McGloin, Stephon Morris; Purdue: Antavian Edison, Josh Johnson, Cody Webster; Wisconsin: Beau Allen, Marcus Cromartie, Travis Frederick, David Gilbert, Ethan Hemer, Drew Meyer, Devin Smith, Dezmen Southward, Mike Taylor
There was a tie among the Coaches for the Offensive Guard honor, so three players received the first team honor and only one on the second team. Coaches also selected three second-team running backs and three second-team defensive linemen.
Media All-Conference Selections
| Position | Player | Class | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second Team Offense (Media) | |||
| QB | Taylor Martinez | Jr. | Nebraska |
| RB | Venric Mark | Jr. | Northwestern |
| RB | Carlos Hyde | Jr. | Ohio State |
| WR | Kenny Bell | So. | Nebraska |
| WR | Cody Latimer | So. | Indiana |
| TE | Dion Sims | Jr. | Michigan State |
| OT | Jack Mewhort | Jr. | Ohio State |
| OG | Brian Mulroe | Sr. | Northwestern |
| C | James Ferentz | Sr. | Iowa |
| OG | John Urschel | Jr. | Penn State |
| OT | Jeremiah Sirles | Jr. | Nebraska |
| Second Team Defense (Media) | |||
| DL | William Gholston | Jr. | Michigan State |
| DL | Adam Replogle | Sr. | Indiana |
| DL | D.L. Wilhite | Sr. | Minnesota |
| DL | Johnathan Hankins | Jr. | Ohio State |
| LB | Jake Ryan | Jr. | Michigan |
| LB | Max Bullough | Jr. | Michigan State |
| LB | Gerald Hodges | Sr. | Penn State |
| DB | Johnny Adams | Sr. | Michigan State |
| DB | Darqueze Dennard | Jr. | Michigan State |
| DB | Josh Johnson | Sr. | Purdue |
| DB | Devin Smith | Sr. | Wisconsin |
| Second Team Special Teams (Media) | |||
| PK | Jeff Budzien | Jr. | Northwestern |
| P | Mike Sadler | So. | Michigan State |
HONORABLE MENTION: Illinois: Jonathan Brown, Michael Buchanan, Terry Hawthorne, Graham Pocic, Akeem Spence, Hugh Thornton; Indiana: Ted Bolser, Mitch Ewald, Dan Feeney, Greg Heban, Will Matte, Jason Spriggs, Shane Wynn; Iowa: C.J. Fiedorowicz, James Ferentz, Joe Gaglione, Anthony Hitchens, Mike Meyer, James Morris; Michigan: William Campbell, J.T. Floyd, Devin Funchess, Jeremy Gallon, Brendan Gibbons, Jordan Kovacs, Patrick Omameh, Denard Robinson, Craig Roh, Roy Roundtree; Michigan State: Denicos Allen, Isaiah Lewis, Chris McDonald, Marcus Rush; Minnesota: Michael Carter, Ra'Shede Hageman, Troy Stoudermire; Nebraska: Ameer Abdullah, Will Compton, Ben Cotton, Ciante Evans, Justin Jackson, Brett Maher (punter), Kyler Reed, P.J. Smith, Baker Steinkuhler; Northwestern: Chi Chi Ariguzo, Ibraheim Campbell, Kain Colter, David Nwabuisi, Damien Proby, Tyler Scott, Patrick Ward; Ohio State: C.J. Barnett, Corey Brown, Christian Bryant, Reid Fragel, Corey Linsley, Etienne Sabino; Penn State: Adrian Amos, Deion Barnes, Mike Farrell, Matt McGloin, Stephon Morris, Sean Stanley, Zach Zwinak; Purdue: Ricardo Allen, Antavian Edison, Landon Feichter, Cody Webster; Wisconsin: Beau Allen, Chris Borland, Marcus Cromartie, David Gilbet, Ryan Groy, Drew Meyer, Jacob Pedersen, Dezmen Southward
First Team All-Americans
There are many outlets that award All-America honors in football. The NCAA uses five official selectors to also determine Consensus and Unanimous All-America honors. The five teams used by the NCAA to compile the consensus team are from the Associated Press, the AFCA, the FWAA, The Sporting News and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. A point system is used to calculate the consensus honors. The point system consists of three points for first team, two points for second team and three points for third team. No honorable mention or fourth team or lower are used in the computation.
The teams are compiled by position and the player accumulating the most points at each position is named a Consensus All-American. If there is a tie at a position in football for first team then the players who are tied shall be named to the team. A player named first-team by all five of the NCAA-recognized selectors is recognized as a Unanimous All-American.[18]
| Player | School | Position | Selector | Consensus/Unanimous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montee Ball | Wisconsin | RB | AFCA, Walter Camp, AP, ESPN, Pro Football Weekly | Consensus |
| Taylor Lewan | Michigan | OL | Walter Camp, AP, ESPN, Sports Illustrated | |
| Travis Frederick | Wisconsin | OL | Pro Football Weekly | |
| Johnathan Hankins | Ohio State | DL | Scout.com | |
| Venric Mark | Northwestern | PR | Sporting News, FWAA, CBS Sports | |
| Michael Mauti | Penn State | LB | ESPN | |
| Bradley Roby | Ohio State | CB | ESPN |
Academic All-Americans
The following players were first team Academic All-Americans: Rex Burkhead (NEB), Patrick Ward (NW), and Pete Massaro (PSU) all repeated from the 2011 first team. John Urschel (PSU) and Adam Replogle (IND) were also first team selections.[19]
National award winners
- Montee Ball, Wisconsin – Doak Walker Award
Attendance
| Team | Stadium | Capacity | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 | Game 6 | Game 7 | Game 8 | Total | Average | % of Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | Memorial Stadium | 60,670 | 43,441 | 45,369 | 46,539 | 46,734 | 47,981 | 46,912 | 41,974 | — | 318,950 | 45,564 | 75.1% |
| Indiana | Memorial Stadium | 52,929 | 41,882 | 48,186 | 45,979 | 48,880 | 40,646 | 43,240 | — | — | 268,813 | 44,802 | 84.6% |
| Iowa | Kinnick Stadium | 70,585 | 70,585 | 70,585 | 70,585 | 70,585 | 70,585 | 70,585 | 69,805 | — | 493,315 | 70,473 | 99.8% |
| Michigan | Michigan Stadium | 109,901 | 112,522 | 110,708 | 110,922 | 113,833 | 112,510 | 113,016 | — | — | 673,511 | 112,251 | 102.1% |
| Michigan State | Spartan Stadium | 75,005 | 78,709 | 79,219 | 74,204 | 76,705 | 70,211 | 73,522 | 75,101 | — | 527,671 | 75,381 | 100.5% |
| Minnesota | TCF Bank Stadium | 50,805 | 47,022 | 44,921 | 50,805 | 49,651 | 41,062 | 48,801 | 44,194 | — | 326,456 | 46,636 | 91.8% |
| Nebraska | Memorial Stadium | 81,067 | 85,425 | 85,290 | 84,923 | 85,962 | 86,160 | 85,527 | 85,330 | — | 598,617 | 85,517 | 105.5% |
| Northwestern | Ryan Field | 47,130 | 31,644 | 32,597 | 28,641 | 33,129 | 47,330 | 44,121 | 32,415 | — | 249,877 | 35,696 | 75.7% |
| Ohio State | Ohio Stadium | 102,329 | 105,039 | 104,745 | 105,232 | 105,019 | 106,102 | 105,290 | 105,311 | 105,899 | 842,637 | 105,329 | 102.9% |
| Penn State | Beaver Stadium | 106,572 | 97,186 | 98,792 | 93,680 | 95,769 | 107,818 | 90,358 | 93,505 | — | 676,308 | 96,615 | 90.6% |
| Purdue | Ross–Ade Stadium | 62,500 | 40,572 | 40,217 | 45,481 | 50,105 | 46,007 | 40,098 | 42,638 | — | 305,118 | 43,588 | 69.7% |
| Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium | 80,321 | 79,568 | 79,332 | 79,806 | 80,096 | 80,587 | 80,538 | 80,112 | — | 560,039 | 80,005 | 99.6% |